Month: January 2010

Inter-state dacoity gang busted in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, January 01: Cyberabad police have busted an inter-state dacoity gang with the arrested four of its members and seized jewellery worth Rs 13.50 lakh.

Speaking to reporters here, Cyberabad Police Commissioner S Prabhakar Reddy said the gang has links with some mafia in Mumbai.

The 13-member gang has committed four sensational daylight jewellery shop dacoities in the city here since May 21 last, he said adding the gang was formed in the month of April last by Udayachand of Bangalore and Shankarlal of Rajasthan.

Hundreds of al Qaeda militants plotting attacks: Report

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London, January 01: Al Qaeda militants are planning terror attacks from Yemen, prompting the country’s Foreign Minister to appeal for global support to shore up its counter-terrorist forces.

The plea by Abu Bakr al-Qirbi came after an al Qaeda group based in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attempted suicide bombing of American transatlantic jetliner on Christmas Day.

Employee can retract from VRS offer before release: CAT

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New Delhi, January 01: A government employee is entitled to continue in service if he withdraws the voluntary retirement notice before the date of his actual release, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has held.

The tribunal passed the order while hearing the plea of Sub-Inspector Chander Pal Arora, challenging the Delhi Police order which accepted the voluntary retirement of the officer even after withdrawing the same within a specific time period.

11 out of 13 AP ministers withdraw resignations

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Hyderabad, January 01: Under pressure from Congress high command, 11 of the 13 Telangana ministers decided to write another letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi expressing their intention to withdraw the earlier decision to quit the Rosaiah ministry.

The 13 ministers had faxed a letter to Sonia Gandhi on December 25 expressing their desire to resign following Centre’s flip-flop on the Telangana statehood issue.

Indian Army’s two-front doctrine betrays hostile intent: Pak

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Islamabad, January 01: Pakistan has said that Indian Army’s new military doctrine including scenarios such as a two-front simultaneous war with both China and Pakistan “betrays a hostile intent” and a “jingoistic mindset”.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement that the Indian Army’s new military doctrine “betray a hostile intent as well as a hegemonic and jingoistic mindset which is quite out of step with the realities of our time”.

Vice-President on African visit next week

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New Delhi, January 01: Several agreements are expected to be signed during Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s three-nation visit to Africa Jan 5-12.

Ansari will travel to Zambia, Malawi and Botswana in south-eastern Africa and a number of agreements will be inked during the visit, officials said Thursday.

India has several business interests in Zambia, especially in the mining sector. There had been substantial Indian investment in the African country, which amounts to over $2 billion.

Apple blocking Dalai Lama iPhone applications: Report

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Washington, January 01: Apple appears to be blocking iPhone applications related to the Dalai Lama and the exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer from its China App Store, IDG News Service reported.

IDG, publisher of Macworld, Computerworld, PC World and other magazines, said the move would make Apple the latest US technology company to censor its services in China.

It said five iPhone applications related to the Tibetan spiritual leader were unavailable in the China store, as was one related to Kadeer, the US-based leader of China’s largely Muslim Uighur community.

1984 riots: CBI can charge Sajjan Kumar

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New Delhi, January 01: Twenty-five years after anti-Sikh riots shook the Capital, Delhi lieutenant-governor Tejinder Khanna gave sanction for prosecution of former MP and senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who allegedly led mobs that killed many innocents in the resettlement colonies in north-west Delhi.

Bhutto inquiry commission extended by 3 months

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New York, January 01: The UN has said it will extend by three months the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“Because of the substantial amount of information collected by the Commission in Pakistan and further follow up work that remains, the Commissioners requested additional time to complete their report,” UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson Martin Nesirky said.

He (Ban) has also informed both the Pakistani government and the Security Council of the same, the spokesperson said.

China economy to grow 9.5 percent in 2010

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Beijing, January 01: China’s economy is likely to grow 9.5 percent in 2010, topping last year’s expected figure, as real estate investment buoys growth and inflation remains mild, a leading state think tank said in a report published on Friday.

The State Council Development Research Centre said China’s economy would remain robust, as market-driven investment picked up while government-led stimulus spending slowed.

5.5 magnitude earthquake rocks Assam, Bhutan

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Guwahati, January 01: An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked Assam and Bhutan Thursday, triggering panic among the people. This is the second tremor to jolt the region in the past two days.

According to the Regional Seisomological Centre in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, the tremor was felt at 3.37 p.m. No casualties were reported yet.

The epicentre was located in Bhutan, 132 km northeast of Assam’s main city of Guwahati and 108 km east of the Himalayan kingdom’s capital Thimphu.

Govt weakened talks with IC 814 hijackers

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New Delhi, January 01: Pressure from the government and hysteria back home by relatives of passengers prevented negotiators to force the hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane to scale down their demand to release just one terrorist, says A K Doval, India’s Chief negotiator.

Ten years after the traumatic passengers were released after a costly exchange of three dreaded terrorists on New Year eve, Doval, a former IB chief, says demands may have been reduced to release of just one terrorist if negotiators had got some more time.

Ruchika’s brother files fresh charge

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Panchkula, January 01: Molestation victim Ruchika Girhotra’s brother Ashu, who was in hiding for the past 16 years since his sister’s suicide, emerged on Thursday evening and submitted a fresh complaint to the police of abetment to suicide against former Haryana top cop S P S Rathore.

Ashu’s complaint also seeks a case against serving Haryana Inspector General of Police (IGP) K P Singh, who was the Ambala district police chief when Ashu was booked in false car theft cases by the police at Rathore’s behest.

Gen-Next’s Dream Girl Vidya balan celebrates her 31st birthday

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Mumbai, January 01: She is the epitome of ‘V’ulnerability, ‘I’ndian-ness, ‘D’earness, ‘Y’outh, and ‘A’ttitude. For those in the know, will surely know whom we are referring to. But for the uninitiated, she is the one and only Vidya Balan, who celebrates her 31st birthday on Friday.

Chandrasekhara Rao hopeful in New Year for Telangana state in reality

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Hyderabad, January 01: Hopeful for the Telangana state in reality, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao is confident that Telangana state would come out in 2010.

Talking to reporters here Thursday, Rao appealed to people of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions to bid adieu to 2009 by parting as friends.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also advised leaders of the two regions not to create unnecessary hurdles in the formation of Telangana state. “Don’t create a divide between the people. Let us part as friends,” he said.

CBI receives blink to prosecute Sajjan Kumar

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New Delhi, January 01: It could be difficult for the Congress leader Sajjan Kumar as Delhi Lt-Governor Tejendra Khanna has nodded to CBI to go-ahead in the cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

“Lt-governor Tejendra Khanna has given the nod to the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to prosecute Sajjan Kumar,” a Raj Bhavan source told news agency.

Former parliamentarian Sajjan Kumar is accused of instigating mobs that went on rampage killing Sikhs across Delhi in 1984 in the wake of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
–Agencies

Tiwari rejects allegations, says his death will be final answer

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New Delhi, January 01: Apprising allegations as fake and denied any kind of involvement in the sex video tape, former Andhra Governor has asserted that “my death will answer all allegations levelled against me”. The matter had put the state on agitation which forced him to resign from the post.

“”I am at the fag end of my life and such allegations at this time pain me. My death will answer such allegations,” the 85-year-old Tiwari told a Hindi news channel from his Dehradun residence.

Why Tytler is being spared in 1984 riots, asks BJP

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New Delhi, January 01: In the wake of Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s Office granting sanction to CBI for prosecution of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday asked why Jagdish Tytler was being “spared” and demanded time-bound trial against the accused.

“What about Jagdish Tytler (another Congress leader accused in the riots)? Why is he not being prosecuted? And why was there so much delay?” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, reacting to the Lt Governor’s move.

President, PM greet nation on New Year eve

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New Delhi, January 01: President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday greeted the nation on the eve of the New Year and wished for joy, peace and happiness.

In her message, the president said: “On the occasion of New Year, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens.”

Patil urged everyone to dedicate themselves to ensuring “the welfare and progress of our nation and all its people by strengthening the bonds of mutual trust and compassion” during the new year”.

SC set to have a woman judge

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New Delhi, January 01: The Supreme Court collegium seems to be zeroing in on Justice Rekha Manharlal Doshit as the next woman judge to be elevated to the apex court. Justice Rekha is the second senior most judge of the Gujarat High Court.

According to sources, though the name of Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra, Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, was high on the list of four women judges being considered by the collegium, it is Rekha Manharlal Doshit who seems to set to make it.

Gunman kills five before killing himself

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Helsinki, January 01: The 43-year-old immigrant, believed to be an ethnic Albanian from Kosovo, shot dead three men and one woman when he opened fire at the huge Sello shopping mall, one of the largest in Scandinavia.

Shortly before the attack he had shot dead his ex-girlfriend, who worked in the shopping mall, in her home.

After embarking on the killing spree Shkupolli fled the mall and was on the run for several hours before police found his body in his apartment in Espoo, six miles west of Helsinki. He had apparently committed suicide.

Tiwari involved In another 3 Australian Girls Sex Scandal

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New Delhi, January 01: Former Andhra Pradesh governor and disgraced senior Congress leader N D Tiwari seems to be fascinated by the number three. On December 26, a day after ABN channel, owned by Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi showed clippings of Tiwari in an alleged sex romp with three women at the Raj Bhavan, Tiwari resigned on ‘health grounds’.

Man held for stealing diamond jewellery

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Chennai, January 01: The suburban police on Thursday arrested a housekeeper at a guest house at St Thomas Mount for allegedly stealing 10 sovereigns of gold jewellery, including a couple of diamond-studded bangles, worth Rs 2 lakh from a room, when the guests were away.

Obama hails CIA employees killed in Afghanistan as patriots

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Washington, January 01 :US President Barack Obama offered his condolences Thursday after seven employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were killed and six injured in a suicide attack Wednesday on a military base in eastern Afghanistan.

In a letter to CIA employees, Obama called those killed “brave Americans (who) were part of a long line of patriots who have made great sacrifices for their fellow citizens, and for our way of life”.

Israeli police arrest occupier over torching mosque

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Ramallah, January 01: The Israeli Police on Thursday arrested an occupier teen suspected of involvement in the torching of a mosque in the West Bank village of Yasouf three weeks ago.

The police said that a relative of Rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of racist Kach party, was detained by its West Bank forces at the Za’tara junction, just few kilometers to the east of Yasouf. It added that the suspect, whose name was not released because he is a minor, was taken in for questioning.